Sometimes, a game does something so well that you can’t stop grinning. That’s exactly what I felt when I first booted up Deliver At All Costs, a new indie published by Konami. The general premise? Deliver things to eccentric customers as quickly as you can, and take as many shortcuts as possible. The best part about these shortcuts, however, is where they are. They’re everywhere. Literally, everywhere. Everything within the world of Deliver At All Costs is destructible, so you can make a path however you see fit.
If I Had To Describe ‘Deliver at All Costs’, It’s ‘Crazy Taxi’ Mixed With ‘Red Faction’
Deliver at All Costs is something that could only be done through the medium of video games. Set in the roaring ’50s, I step into the shoes of Opie Taylor… wait, I mean, Winston Green. He’s running behind on his rent, and the job market is crashing faster than I am into a building. There’s got to be something he can do to bring home the bacon, right? That’s when the crooning voice of a radio announcer lets him know that “We Deliver” is hiring. Is it fate? Is it a curse? I guess it’s up to us to find out.
After jumping into a car, the incredibly impressive physics and destruction are immediately shown off. Of course, not being content just backing into a building, I need to find out if Deliver at All Costs really does boast fully destructible environments. A grin emerges on my face as I crash through every building in sight, cops chasing me, tires popping, chaos reigning on every portion of the screen. It’s pure bliss, an absolute delight, and the fact that this destruction-simulator comes packed with a genuinely hilarious story? The cherry on top of the sundae, if you will.
Deliveries in this game are just straight-up bonkers. Trying to hide the fact that watermelons are rotten, all while driving at speeds faster than I feasibly should be able to in a jalopy such as this. It’s pure adrenaline, pure fun, and most importantly, pure chaos.
‘Deliver at All Costs’ Had Me Genuinely Chortling More Than I’d Like To Admit. The Writing Is Golden.
The situations I found myself in while playing Deliver at All Costs were far beyond what I could have ever expected. Whitty dialogue, without crossing into the line of crassness or crudeness, made each delivery something to remember. It doesn’t matter if I’m hauling something as silly as fireworks or trying to evade an actual UFO. There’s always something happening here, and it’s just a blast.
But more than anything, Deliver at All Costs is fun for anyone to enjoy. After completing a story mission, I could hand the controller off to my wife, who found it more enjoyable than myself to just crash and smash into everything and anything. It unlocked a side of her that I never knew existed, and one that was a joy to behold firsthand.
The arcade-like handling makes every route feel properly chaotic, and failing a mission just makes it feel even sweeter when you finally nail the landing. Deliver at All Costs may be one of the most surprisingly good games I’ve played this year. In a year that’s been filled with non-stop bangers, that’s the highest compliment I can give it. Grab the keys, get behind the wheel, and start doing some of the wildest deliveries you could imagine.
The post ‘Deliver at All Costs’ Has Me Grinning Like a Gosh Darn Fool as I’m Plowing Through Every Building in Sight appeared first on VICE.
